Whats the excuse this time Nascar

[harvick#1]

you slow the cars down, 2 cars still flip and Newman has a very close call in not being here anymore.

you claim to enforce a bump-drafting rule and will penalize, yet all they did was warn and let these major wrecks happen AGAIN!!!! as the bumping got outta hand late in the race.



whats next, gonna slow the cars down again in Daytona next year, more bogus blocking warnings. hmmm maybe its the car, maybe its the wing (oh wait it is the WING!!!!).

Newman told it best in his interview.


Maybe Nascar should just take Talladega off the schedule until they can find something to break the cars up and not let them race in these big packs.

[Andrewmcm]

No tape on the grill, no rear wing, narrower tyres? Obviously the problem is the banking and the fact that the cars have too much power and grip/downforce on the track. Restricting the power doesn't seem to work too well, so how about restricting the grip?

[muggle not]

Worst race of the year.

The race was a farce, the Chase is a farce, and Nascar is a farce. I am pissed at how they have ruined what once was good racing.

[The instant classic]

Newman did the best interview i have seen in years
right next to Sterling Marlin interview after the 2nd dega race in 2001
"well let's go to daytona and wreck again"

i guess we need to wait till the next driver gets killed at plate racing till nascar can fix it.
speaking of 2001, after the great loss of Dale.E. i know nascar did everything to make the cars and driver more safe. and i agree on that..but lookin back now i wish they also put some time into fixing the rules at plate racing for the "big one" and cars fliping won't happen. we lost one of the greats. we don't need to lose more

[Mark in Oshawa]

I think the drivers can control things quite well without being told by NASCAR not to bump draft in the corners. I also think they could avoid a lot of wrecks too. They just don't. When give and take becomes grab and go, the big wrecks happen.

AT some point, the drivers should look in the mirror for some of the messes that occur. That said, I am more of the late David Poole's philosophy that this form of racing is a little stupid. Dega doesn't reward a good handling car since anyone can hold the foot on the mat all the way around. Daytona being narrower and a little more handling focused I can live with. Dega? If it wasn't so damned expensive, I would tear the banks down but I think there is a large number of fans that would lynch me afterwards. I don't see a solution to this one...

[harvick#1]

RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 U.S. ARMY IMPALA SS

INVOLVED IN MULTI-CAR CRASH, LANDING UPSIDE DOWN IN THE CAR -- Finished 36th: HOW ARE YOU FEELING? "Pretty sore. Just really disappointed. We had this race back here in the spring and complained about cars getting airborne and now ironically I'm the guy that gets upside down. I had the roll bars down on top of my helmet and stuck upside down inside my U.S. Army Chevrolet. It's just disappointing. I wish NASCAR would do something. It was a boring race for the fans. That's not something anybody wants to see at least I hope not. If they do, go home because you don't belong here.

"It's just a product of this racing and what NASCAR has put us into with this box and these restrictor plates with these types of cars. You know with the yellow line, no bump-drafting, no passing. Drivers used to be able to respect each other and race around each other. Richard Petty, David Pearson and Bobby Allison and all those guys have always done that. I guess they don't think much of us anymore."

WHEN YOU WERE UPSIDE DOWN YOU DIDN'T RESPOND TO YOUR TEAM RIGHT AWAY, CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH THOSE MOMENTS? "It knocked the antennae off the car. When they rolled the car back over the antennae wire connected and I criticized what was going on. It's no fun. It's disappointing. There's no good part of it. It's not even a good race for the fans and that's who we're trying to service is the fans. They can stand up and cheer when there is three to go with the green-white-checker. We're supposed to be racing all day long and I think we lost a little bit of that luster."

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO WALK BACK HERE TO THE MEDICAL CENTER AND SEE YOUR WIFE KRISSIE, WE TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE THE RACE? "I was glad to see her. I mean its emotional just like we talked about but it's not the way I wanted to see her after the race. I just got to thank ButlerBuilt, Simpson Race Products and all the guys at the shop and Hendrick Chassis what they do to make the cars safer. When I hit the roll cage and landed on my head I was a little worried and I was happy to be able to walk out of that in a roundabout way."

WHAT HAPPENED? "Just a byproduct of Talladega racing. Unfortunately. We got hit from behind that turned me sideways then I got up in the air and just kept flipping and flopping. Unfortunately, the cage came down on top of my head and I couldn't get out. Tough situation with the US Army Chevrolet. It was a boring race and it was a ridiculous race. To see 43 cars run single file is not showed up here today for. We'll see what happens."

WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THE RULE ENFORCEMENT EXPLAINED IN THE DRIVER'S MEETING THIS MORNING? "The more rules, the more NASCAR is telling us how to drive the race cars, the less we can race and the less we can put on a show for the fans. As I said, I will go back in the day, Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip, all those guys, they respected each other. In the end there were some big accidents, but geez, we don't need the cars getting upside down like this. This is ridiculous. There is way more technology than that to help us out. Whether it is a speed issue, a roof flap issue, whatever. I said it myself in the media center after the Spring race here, and now to be the guy standing here trying to live it all out again, I'm just happy I am living it out. But it is ridiculous situation. It is a shame that not more is getting done. I don't know. I guess maybe I expect NASCAR to call me. I am the only guy out there with an engineering degree. I would like to have a little respect on my end.

WHY DON'T YOU GO TALK TO THEM? "I am not going to talk to them. I just doesn't matter."

DID NASCAR CREATE THE BOREDOM OF TODAY'S RACE? "They have created a lot of the boredom because we couldn't race. It is survival. The race could have been 100 laps long and we could have had a great race. It is just not the way it is and it is unfortunate. I just hate it for the fans."

[Alexamateo]

Why don't they just take the plates off and eliminate the 25 lowest rows on the grandstand?.

[The instant classic]

Why don't they just take the plates off and eliminate the 25 lowest rows on the grandstand?.

i was thinking the same thing when Tony and Johnson went hiding to the back and said "30 to go i will race" i was thinking then, you know if they took the plates off guys could never pull this **** i know nascar says the speed is to high, but if the IRL cars race 220 on almost every track, whats the best the nascar speeds could be? maybe 212? i know nascar still goes on about bobby allison wreck but if the COT car is as great and safe as nascar loves to say, we should have no problem

[PA Rick]

Why don't they just take the plates off and eliminate the 25 lowest rows on the grandstand?.

Bulldoze the banks. Why have banking so you can go faster and then put on plates to make you go slower. Flatten the track and then there will be sane racing.

[NickFalzone]

Very glad to see that Newman was OK. I'm not sure what kind of racing that was today but, as someone that occasionally enjoys restrictor plate racing, this was one of the worst in a long time. My first preference would be to take down the banking, second preference would be to go back to the racing they had a few years ago, and the worst solution was the "show" they put on today. Still unsafe, and not even entertaining to watch.

[call_me_andrew]

I thought that race was brilliant. Mostly because all that strategic, single-file racing until the last 100 miles makes NASCAR look bad.

And I maintain my position that cutting grooves in the tires (F1 style) would slow the cars and break up the packs better than restrictor plates.

[Sparky1329]

Worst race of the year.

The race was a farce, the Chase is a farce, and Nascar is a farce. I am pissed at how they have ruined what once was good racing.

+100

[mileman]

What a pathetic excuse for a "race." Single file "cruise control" - almost the big one - the big one - and then the points leader "passing" guys left and right because they're running out of gas. This was one of the worst NASCAR shows in a long time. (Did I see a group of empty seats in the grandstand?)

I wonder what Mark Martin really had to say. It almost seemed like he was biting his tongue in the post-race interview. I'm at least glad that Newman told it like it is.

[Lee Roy]

Bulldoze the banks. Why have banking so you can go faster and then put on plates to make you go slower. Flatten the track and then there will be sane racing.


Bingo!!!! The only solution.

That, or have the fans band together and have the racing at Talladega eliminated like they did at Rockingham. If the fans boycott Talladega like they did Rockingham, NASCAR will have to listen.

[Mark in Oshawa]

i was thinking the same thing when Tony and Johnson went hiding to the back and said "30 to go i will race" i was thinking then, you know if they took the plates off guys could never pull this **** i know nascar says the speed is to high, but if the IRL cars race 220 on almost every track, whats the best the nascar speeds could be? maybe 212? i know nascar still goes on about bobby allison wreck but if the COT car is as great and safe as nascar loves to say, we should have no problem

Ummm comparing an IRL car to a Cup car is pointless. First off, at 3400 lbs, they are coming off the ground in wrecks at the speeds they are at now. At 3400 vs 1400 lbs for the IRL car, the IRL car wont go through the fence into the stands, the Cup car with no plates on surely will.

I like Alex's assertion to not sell any seats in the first 25 rows but I suspect that isn't really a doable solution.

Tear down the banks and create a new track is the solution, but as long as 100000 people show up for races at Dega and Daytona, we will have plate races. I think the drivers tolerate it at Daytona because handling is an issue there, and the pack isn't 3 wide from start to finish; but Dega is a joke. A hell of a spectacle, but the drivers hate it and it isn't really the racing you see the rest of the year.

[Alexamateo]

Ummm comparing an IRL car to a Cup car is pointless. First off, at 3400 lbs, they are coming off the ground in wrecks at the speeds they are at now. At 3400 vs 1400 lbs for the IRL car, the IRL car wont go through the fence into the stands, the Cup car with no plates on surely will.

I like Alex's assertion to not sell any seats in the first 25 rows but I suspect that isn't really a doable solution.

Tear down the banks and create a new track is the solution, but as long as 100000 people show up for races at Dega and Daytona, we will have plate races. I think the drivers tolerate it at Daytona because handling is an issue there, and the pack isn't 3 wide from start to finish; but Dega is a joke. A hell of a spectacle, but the drivers hate it and it isn't really the racing you see the rest of the year.

I'll add that I would also incorporate a second catch fence at the stands 75 feet behind the others.

IMO, the plates were a stopgap solution in response to Bobby Allison's wreck in 1987. Nascar discovered it bunched the cars together and they liked the show. If it were truly for the safety factor, why have they not done anything for Texas, Charlotte, Atlanta, and Michigan, whose lap averages are now faster than Daytona and Talladega?

Without plates, they would not run in 35 car packs 4 wide. Many of the accidents they have now, would not happen. There is danger to fans at that speed of course, so move them back behind a double catch fence with a no-man's-land and enforce it.

They should probably do this at other tracks too, because as noted earlier, speeds are increasing.

I'm a fan, and it's a rush to be down low and hang on the fence while a car whooshes by at 200mph+, but this should be addressed sooner rather than later.

[Mark in Oshawa]

I'll add that I would also incorporate a second catch fence at the stands 75 feet behind the others.

IMO, the plates were a stopgap solution in response to Bobby Allison's wreck in 1987. Nascar discovered it bunched the cars together and they liked the show. If it were truly for the safety factor, why have they not done anything for Texas, Charlotte, Atlanta, and Michigan, whose lap averages are now faster than Daytona and Talladega?

Without plates, they would not run in 35 car packs 4 wide. Many of the accidents they have now, would not happen. There is danger to fans at that speed of course, so move them back behind a double catch fence with a no-man's-land and enforce it.

They should probably do this at other tracks too, because as noted earlier, speeds are increasing.

I'm a fan, and it's a rush to be down low and hang on the fence while a car whooshes by at 200mph+, but this should be addressed sooner rather than later.

The Plates tighten them into a pack, THAT I agree with. The problem is insurance companies wont insure the track if the cars are doing 220 to 230 everywhere. It is about a 30 to 40mph increase in speed, but in the factor of the cars getting airborne, it is an exponential increase. You can bet that sooner or later a car would be in the stands.

As for other tracks, the speeds are not sustained and NOT through the corners above 160. THAT is the difference. The high sustained full throttle running you get at Daytona and Dega creates the draft and the 200mph runs down the straights. AT Pocono, Michigan and Fontana, they run about 200 and change into the corners but they are braking, and the nature of the corner leading into the straights gives people room to spread. Putting plates on at these tracks would make the racing far worse and maybe create other issues.

There is no easy solution. I think people hope the incoming change to fuel injection might give these guys something back on plate tracks. Maybe....

[Sparky1329]

A friend of mine spent the weekend at Talladega which she's been doing for several years. She said she has never seen so few fans in the seats as there were this past weekend.

[The instant classic]

Ummm comparing an IRL car to a Cup car is pointless. First off, at 3400 lbs, they are coming off the ground in wrecks at the speeds they are at now. At 3400 vs 1400 lbs for the IRL car, the IRL car wont go through the fence into the stands, the Cup car with no plates on surely will.

I like Alex's assertion to not sell any seats in the first 25 rows but I suspect that isn't really a doable solution.

Tear down the banks and create a new track is the solution, but as long as 100000 people show up for races at Dega and Daytona, we will have plate races. I think the drivers tolerate it at Daytona because handling is an issue there, and the pack isn't 3 wide from start to finish; but Dega is a joke. A hell of a spectacle, but the drivers hate it and it isn't really the racing you see the rest of the year.

after i posted take the plates off and race like the IRL, i took some time to more think of my next reply to who ever, reply to my comment, and more i was thinking about it..it wasn't my best idea on plate racing but meh i didn't feel like editing my post last night to fix it :D

for tear down the banks? i think nascar is in a big hole right now, they added banking at Bristol fans and drivers hate it and Bristol racing sucks now.
so nascar tears down the banking at dega and the racing sucks. but leave it and we have "the big one" i really hate to be nascar right now and come up with new rules for plate racing. :confused:

my only idea cuz i'm out of ideas by this point. maybe rase the yellow line up and make it like a street curb that would stop guys going under it.
or under the yellow line lay down gravel (like the glen has) maybe that could stop guys from getting air born?

sorry if the ideas suck guys but like i said, when it comes to plate racing i'm out of ideas at this point

[Alexamateo]

The Plates tighten them into a pack, THAT I agree with. The problem is insurance companies wont insure the track if the cars are doing 220 to 230 everywhere. It is about a 30 to 40mph increase in speed, but in the factor of the cars getting airborne, it is an exponential increase. You can bet that sooner or later a car would be in the stands.

As for other tracks, the speeds are not sustained and NOT through the corners above 160. THAT is the difference. The high sustained full throttle running you get at Daytona and Dega creates the draft and the 200mph runs down the straights. AT Pocono, Michigan and Fontana, they run about 200 and change into the corners but they are braking, and the nature of the corner leading into the straights gives people room to spread. Putting plates on at these tracks would make the racing far worse and maybe create other issues.

There is no easy solution. I think people hope the incoming change to fuel injection might give these guys something back on plate tracks. Maybe....

Mark,

Did you miss the part where I said to move or eliminate the stands close to the track and then have a double series of catch fences with a no-main's land? like this:

Track____] no man land 50-75-100'? ] elevated stands

These cars may fly but they will not fly that far.

[call_me_andrew]

What a pathetic excuse for a "race." Single file "cruise control" - almost the big one - the big one - and then the points leader "passing" guys left and right because they're running out of gas. This was one of the worst NASCAR shows in a long time. (Did I see a group of empty seats in the grandstand?)

I wonder what Mark Martin really had to say. It almost seemed like he was biting his tongue in the post-race interview. I'm at least glad that Newman told it like it is.

"Show." Interesting choice of word.


i was thinking the same thing when Tony and Johnson went hiding to the back and said "30 to go i will race" i was thinking then, you know if they took the plates off guys could never pull this **** i know nascar says the speed is to high, but if the IRL cars race 220 on almost every track, whats the best the nascar speeds could be? maybe 212? i know nascar still goes on about bobby allison wreck but if the COT car is as great and safe as nascar loves to say, we should have no problem

Force equals mass times acceleration. A stock car that weighs 3,600 pounds decelerating at a rate of 75 mph per second exerts a force greater than an Indycar weiging 1,400 pounds at the same rate of deceleration.


after i posted take the plates off and race like the IRL, i took some time to more think of my next reply to who ever, reply to my comment, and more i was thinking about it..it wasn't my best idea on plate racing but meh i didn't feel like editing my post last night to fix it :D

for tear down the banks? i think nascar is in a big hole right now, they added banking at Bristol fans and drivers hate it and Bristol racing sucks now.
so nascar tears down the banking at dega and the racing sucks. but leave it and we have "the big one" i really hate to be nascar right now and come up with new rules for plate racing. :confused:

my only idea cuz i'm out of ideas by this point. maybe rase the yellow line up and make it like a street curb that would stop guys going under it.
or under the yellow line lay down gravel (like the glen has) maybe that could stop guys from getting air born?

sorry if the ideas suck guys but like i said, when it comes to plate racing i'm out of ideas at this point

They didn't add banking to Bristol, they removed some banking from Bristol (and the drivers love it). Drivers can pass without contact now. The race doesn't stop for a spin every 15 minutes. And Bristol is already the toughest track to drive on because it's the only track that puts a stressful amout of g-force on the drivers.

Restrictor plates are a 1970's solution to a 1980's problem. There's no way to eliminate the banking (I mean it's physically possible, but Big Bill would haunt us all). This is why I talk about those grooved tires so much. Elimiate mechanical grip without changing the track, and the drivers will be lifting in turns and running away from the pack. This is (at least) a 90's solution. A 21st century solution would be to make the catchfence out of diamond, but that's a tad expensive.

Recommended reading: http://fasttrackrc.blogspot.com/

[Wade91]

i was at the race, and the last big crash where Mark Martin flipped, happened right in front of the area where i was sitting,

it was a awesome race! :D

[colinspooky]

I like the close pack racing. I thought the single file was boring, and you all will too if you knock the banks down.

It's dangerous and needs careful thinking, planning, and fast decision making. Excellent.

Everything a motor sport needs. Plus you really don't know who is going to win.

Taking the plates off sounds a non starter - will still in packs as they will still all be the same, plus more speed.

I don't want to see drivers or fans hurt - no one does - but close hard racing with a hint of danger is what keeps bringing people back. Having said that, shame so many seats were empty.

Perhaps the track is just too long - shorten the straights. Of course, that'll be cheap.

[Lee Roy]

. . . . take the plates off and race like the IRL,


The IRL is a joke.

[quote="The instant classic":o23asnex]. they added banking at Bristol fans and drivers hate it and Bristol racing sucks now.[/quote:o23asnex]

The only fans who hate the racing at Bristol now are the "wreck fans". I hope they go away and never come back. Racing is not about wrecking.

[Wade91]

i had a great view of Mark Martin flipping from where i was sitting in the stands :D

[Haulin'AssAndTurnin Left]

Another problem i see is the bumpers. They never used to be able to bump draft as aggressively as they can now because the bumpers didnt line up. If you were too aggressive bump drafting you would lift the rear of the car you were pushing, now you can just slam into the guy infront. Its not even really drafting anymore its just one car pushing another.

There used to be a skill on these tracks, Drafting was a skill and you couldnt just hook up with another car like they do these days and just push your way to the front in 3 laps. Patience in the draft was needed and guys wanted to be at the front.

Daytona doesnt seem to have as many problems as Dega. Like people have said at Daytona the car has to handly. Grooved tyres seem to me a logical option, that away some of that grip at Dega make them lift in the corners. But the best option would be just to take some banking out of the corners, and i just dont see them going that route.

Does anyone actually think NASCAR will do anything to solve the superspeedway issues?. NASCAR will probably just ignore whats happened, blame the drivers and carry on as everything is great.

[Sparky1329]

i had a great view of Mark Martin flipping from where i was sitting in the stands :D

Yeah, that would've been really awesome if Mark had been taken away on a stretcher. :rolleyes:

[call_me_andrew]

Taking the plates off sounds a non starter - will still in packs as they will still all be the same, plus more speed.

No, that would break up the packs. They're in packs because the cars' drag to horsepower ratio favors drag to the point where a lone car is never faster than a car that's drafting.

For example: Car A is drafting behind car B, car A pulls out but doesn't mantain forward momentum long enough to pass (and clear) car B unless he is followed by Car C. In this situation, as soon as A pulls out, his aerodynamic drag prevents him from completing the pass because he only has 500 horsepower.

An unrestricted Car A with at least 600 (but really more like 850 these days) horsepower could pass Car B because he has enough power to maintain the speed he held while he was drafting.

Go watch some pre-1988 Talladega and Daytona videos on YouTube and you'll see that the cars did not stay in packs before restrictor plates. The field strung out as it would at any other race.


Another problem i see is the bumpers. They never used to be able to bump draft as aggressively as they can now because the bumpers didnt line up. If you were too aggressive bump drafting you would lift the rear of the car you were pushing, now you can just slam into the guy infront. Its not even really drafting anymore its just one car pushing another.

Actually the bumpers did line up on the old car (at plate tracks anyway). NASCAR didn't have a spec bumper location on that car. By the middle of this decade teams realized that a lower front bumper made for more downforce at intermediate tracks, and a higher front bumper made for less drag at plate tracks. Eventually, teams developed distinct "high nose" and "low nose" bodies (as you would normally see in open wheel racing).

Here's a "high nose" car at Daytona.

http://www.jayski.com/schemes/2009/nationwide/images/daytona/nns_42.jpg

And a "low nose" car at Memphis.

http://www.jayski.com/schemes/2009/nationwide/images/memphis/42-memphis.jpg

And as years went by with the old car, NASCAR started to require soft bumpers to discourage bump drafing. These soft bumpers are still in use on the COT.

[Lee Roy]

Go watch some pre-1988 Talladega and Daytona videos on YouTube and you'll see that the cars did not stay in packs before restrictor plates. The field strung out as it would at any other race.


You are absolutely correct. I attended a number of races at Daytona and Talladega during the 1970's. There was no pack racing. Many times there were only 2 or 3 cars on the lead lap at the end of the race. The races in those days were MUCH better than now, of course, in my humble opinion. I don't even bother to watch plate races any more.

[Wade91]

You are absolutely correct. I attended a number of races at Daytona and Talladega during the 1970's. There was no pack racing. Many times there were only 2 or 3 cars on the lead lap at the end of the race. The races in those days were MUCH better than now, of course, in my humble opinion. I don't even bother to watch plate races any more.
but thats exactly why the races at Daytona and Talladega, are much better with restricter plates, the racing is so much closer and more exciting with restricter plates :D seeing only 2 or 3 cars running on the lead lap must have been pretty boring :s

[Wade91]

Yeah, that would've been really awesome if Mark had been taken away on a stretcher. :rolleyes:
i dont wanna see a driver get hurt of course, but who doesn't wanna see the big one? :p

[Sparky1329]

i dont wanna see a driver get hurt of course, but who doesn't wanna see the big one? :p

I don't.

[harvick#1]

same here

[call_me_andrew]

i dont wanna see a driver get hurt of course, but who doesn't wanna see the big one? :p

I don't want to see it.


but thats exactly why the races at Daytona and Talladega, are much better with restricter plates, the racing is so much closer and more exciting with restricter plates :D seeing only 2 or 3 cars running on the lead lap must have been pretty boring :s

How would you feel about this: whoever is trailing in the Super Bowl at halftime will have points count for double in the second half?

[MD24]

i dont wanna see a driver get hurt of course, but who doesn't wanna see the big one? :p


http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b59/5242548/slap.gif

[Lee Roy]

but thats exactly why the races at Daytona and Talladega, are much better with restricter plates, the racing is so much closer and more exciting with restricter plates :D seeing only 2 or 3 cars running on the lead lap must have been pretty boring :s

As I said, in my humble opinion. Apparently, your opinion is different.

And it's spelled "restrictor".

[Lee Roy]

. . . . . but who doesn't wanna see the big one? :p

I don't want to see it, and when the fans of "the big one" are sorely disappointed by it's absence and decide to leave and find some other sport to follow, I will be all the happier.

[muggle not]

Bulldoze the track. It wasn't meant for today's generation of cars.

[Lee Roy]

Bulldoze the track. It wasn't meant for today's generation of cars.

Amen

[Haulin'AssAndTurnin Left]

Dont worry everyone its ESPN and ABC's fault the racing was sh@ at Dega

NASCAR takes ABC to task for 'boring' race: Almost everybody who watches TV sports is an instant critic. One exception: Sports leagues themselves, who almost never publicly criticize the networks that cover them. And when it comes to ESPN, and its various TV platforms including ABC, the last criticism you'd expect is that the worldwide leader in hype wasn't enthusiastic enough about something it had paid to cover. But NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston, in a blog posting on nascar.com, specifically knocked ESPN/ABC's coverage of Sunday's Sprint Cup race in Talladega, Ala. At issue: Whether the race was boring.
Usually, TV sports analysts go to great pains to avoid even hinting what they're showing is boring. But Poston suggested ESPN/ABC analysts, including Dale Jarrett, "certainly weren't happy with the race and felt compelled to remind viewers of that virtually every lap. ... And along the way, ABC missed a lot of very good racing." On Sunday's race on a long track with steep banks, NASCAR cited safety reasons for prohibiting so-called bump-drafting to provide extra room between cars on turns. Although ESPN/ABC let viewers eavesdrop on driver Tony Stewart asking his crew during the race to tell him something interesting "so I don't fall asleep out here," Poston says the event had "seriously intense racing." ESPN, in a statement, said only that it had a "strong telecast" and had no comment on Poston's post.(USA Today (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/2009-11-04-nascar_N.htm))(11-6-2009)

[NickFalzone]

Dont worry everyone its ESPN and ABC's fault the racing was sh@ at Dega

NASCAR takes ABC to task for 'boring' race: Almost everybody who watches TV sports is an instant critic. One exception: Sports leagues themselves, who almost never publicly criticize the networks that cover them. And when it comes to ESPN, and its various TV platforms including ABC, the last criticism you'd expect is that the worldwide leader in hype wasn't enthusiastic enough about something it had paid to cover. But NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston, in a blog posting on nascar.com, specifically knocked ESPN/ABC's coverage of Sunday's Sprint Cup race in Talladega, Ala. At issue: Whether the race was boring.
Usually, TV sports analysts go to great pains to avoid even hinting what they're showing is boring. But Poston suggested ESPN/ABC analysts, including Dale Jarrett, "certainly weren't happy with the race and felt compelled to remind viewers of that virtually every lap. ... And along the way, ABC missed a lot of very good racing." On Sunday's race on a long track with steep banks, NASCAR cited safety reasons for prohibiting so-called bump-drafting to provide extra room between cars on turns. Although ESPN/ABC let viewers eavesdrop on driver Tony Stewart asking his crew during the race to tell him something interesting "so I don't fall asleep out here," Poston says the event had "seriously intense racing." ESPN, in a statement, said only that it had a "strong telecast" and had no comment on Poston's post.(USA Today (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/2009-11-04-nascar_N.htm))(11-6-2009)

Poston is a moron. That's the sort of ego and lack of insight into their product that is going to hurt them in the long term. The racing was terrible up until the last 20 laps. Other leagues are smart enough to either talk about the problem behind closed doors, or admit it publicly and suggest changes are coming. To go out and say that the broadcaster is wrong in giving an honest commentary is unfair both to the guys in the booth, and the fans.

[Sparky1329]

NASCAR can't handle the truth and doesn't want to hear it. Following the recent lengthy interview with Larry Mac, Kyle Petty and Jimmy Spencer on Sirius NASCAR suggested that SPEED channel should fire them. Now they're blaming the lousy racing on ABC and their broadcast. Give me a break.

[harvick#1]

the problem is Poston, France, and Helton are so smug they never want to admit they screwed up something people loved back in 1999-2003 when Nascar took off, but since this change for the worse with the "playoffs" and killing off historic races, as well as calling the races for themselves to see who they wanted to see win. the fans got pissed and alot of them left, I still watch nascar but not like I used too, I've become a bigger fan of other Motorsport series and really back ALMS and after being at Petit Le Mans, I don't think you'll ever get that kind of service at a track and host like ALMS did, you of the most fan friendly events ever for cheap too. I almost cant wait for next year to hopefully take that trip again

[Wade91]

well, i was at the race, so i dont know what ABC's coverage was like

but the race was pretty good, i know there was alot of single file racing. but the racing was still alot closer than it is alot of the time on some cookie cutter tracks,

it might have been a little better if they hadn't enforced such strict rules on bump drafting, but it was still a pretty good race,

[Mark in Oshawa]

It floors me the amount of animus NASCAR has created with people who post on this board ALL THE TIME. People who HATE what NASCAR Sprint Cup racing is now, and yet continue to post.

Guy's I don't agree with everything they do, but I understand 90% of what they do. I can tell you no one would be paying any attention at all to the championship race at this time of year if not for the chase. I can remember a number of years where the champion was pretty much selected by Sept. Just look at the Nationwide series. It has been obvious to everyone since AUGUST that Shrubbie was going to win that title if he shows up. How many years in Cup has the outcome been so clearly obvious? Even last year, as good as JJ and Knaus are, Carl still had a shot at him in the last race. One bad motor and a good run by Carl and Carl wins the championship.

The chase has given more interest to this series at a time of the year when College Football, NFL and the Baseball playoffs are big stories. NASCAR was falling off the radar every fall. In sport, attention from the press is an important factor.

As for empty seats, blame the economy and the cost of going to a race. The tickets for the seats are not bad, but hotels, gas, souveneirs and all the rest make any race expensive. With the economy, we will have some empty seats. Even at a boring track like California tho, almost 80000 showed up. Hardly a failure....

[Haulin'AssAndTurnin Left]

I dont hate everything NASCAR has done i do however think they could do things differently. The racing this year has been pretty good.

Im not a big stat guy but we would have had a few close championships under the old system that we have missed out on. The chase is kinda entertaining but is also kinda fake. NASCAR was great because it was so simple, no gimmicks racing. The last 5-6yrs thats changed, thats why people are pissed.

The Jimmie Johnson Effect has to be hurting NASCAR as well, people are bored of the guy but thats what happens when you put a system like this in place. Im not knocking him though hes playing the system and winning trophies doing it, but thats gonna piss off alot of fans when one guy is leading the championship then with 10 races to go its all changed.

[woody2goody]

In my opinion I'd take the broadcasters to task if they DIDN'T mention it if the race was boring. Countless times, commentators have commented on a boring 0-0 draw in football, a dull F1 race with no overtaking, an uneventful boxing match, and yes, a boring NASCAR race. NASCAR is just being ridiculous and desperate by calling out ABC and ESPN.

On Talladega, I actually think increasing the speeds is the way to go. We need to get to the point where only the best cars can go truly flat out most of the way around. That will create field spread and better racing.

I'm aware of the risk of cars getting airbourne, but surely NASCAR, and the teams, have some clever people who can come up with maybe an aerodynamic solution to substantially lower the risk to where it's almost negligible.

[djparky]

compared to some of cookie cutter races which have sent me to sleep, I didn't think Talladega was that bad- compared to some of the other plate races it wasn't great, but not a total disaster.

It's always welcome when the commentary team are prepared to admit that a race is boring- lord there have been some truly stupendously dull F1 races over the last 10 years- would have been welcome to hear that from them as well

as for NASCAR- well personally I think the Chase is a stupid idea- always have done, and this year certainly has been a huge non-event as JJ keeps racking up good points finishes week after week- and even when he has a bad week the rest aren't good enough to really close the gap significantly.

I'm not sure the new car has helped the racing- aero dynamics and dirty air seem to be a problem, but I don't see how with something that has the aero properties of a breeze block